1. Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to computer systems, and more specifically relates to making information relating to a user available in the cloud.
2. Background Art
Modern technology has greatly simplified many aspects of our lives. For example, the Internet has made vast amounts of information available at the click of a mouse. Smart phones allow not only making phone calls, but also provide a mobile computing platform by providing the ability to run apps, view e-mail, and access many different types of information, including calendar, contacts, etc.
Some cloud-based services allow storing data in the cloud, and providing access to that data from any device that has Internet access. Dropbox is an example of a cloud-based file service. A subscriber to Dropbox defines a file folder that is synchronized to the cloud, then all data written to the file folder will be automatically stored in the cloud, making that data automatically available to the user via any device that has an Internet connection. While services like Dropbox are very useful, they have their drawbacks. For example, a Dropbox user must remember to store data in a Dropbox folder or sub-folder. Many different software applications have default settings that save files to a folder that may not be a Dropbox folder. The user must know to change the default folder settings to a Dropbox folder if the data is to be available via Dropbox. But many users lack the knowledge or sophistication to realize all the changes that need to be made to a computer to assure all of the user's data is stored to Dropbox. As a result, if the user's hard drive crashes and data is not recoverable from the hard drive, the user may discover some of their data was not stored to a Dropbox folder or sub-folder, resulting in loss of that data when the hard drive crashed.
The evolution of modern technology has resulted in a world that is “device-centric.” This means each device must be configured to a user's needs. If a user owns a smart phone, tablet computer, and laptop computer, the user must take the time to configure each of these devices to his or her liking. This effort represents a significant investment of time for the user. For example, let's assume a user has been using the iPhone 4 for over a year, and decides to change to the Samsung Galaxy S4 phone. Depending on the vendor of the Samsung Galaxy S4 phone, the vendor may be able to transfer the phone contacts on the iPhone 4 to the new Samsung phone, but none of the apps or other data can be transferred. As a result, the decision to change to a new smart phone platform will require hours of time for the user to download apps and configure the new phone to his or her liking. The same problem exists when a user buys a new computer. The user must take the time to install all the software the user wants to use on the computer, and must take the time to configure the desired settings and preferences on the new computer. Again, this can be a very time-consuming proposition. It is not unusual for a user to spend many hours installing software and configuring a new computer system to his or her liking. For professionals who do not have the support of an IT department, taking the time to configure a new computer system either takes hours out of their work day, or takes hours of their personal time after work. In either case, the user loses hours of valuable time setting up a new computer system.
Not only must a user configure each of his or her devices, the configuration and capabilities of each device differ greatly. Apps installed on a smart phone are not made to run on a laptop or desktop computer. Software installed on a desktop or laptop computer are not made to run on smart phones. The result is the user must configure each device and install the software or apps to make the device as functional as the user needs it to be. This requires significant thought and expertise from the user to know how to configure each device.